Kaisa Somerpalo reached the finals of The Finnish Recipe for Success with an innovative hybrid product combining plant-based protein and meat. Somerpalo’s hybrid meatballs are made with Apetit’s BlackGrain textured vegetable protein (TVP). The final product contains 50% less meat compared to conventional meatballs.
Product developer Kaisa Somerpalo’s hybrid meatballs have made it to the finals of the food innovation competition The Finnish Recipe for Success (Suomalainen menestysresepti). The competition and tv programme is centred around choosing the best Finnish food innovation of the year and helping new inventive food products reach commercial success. The final will be broadcast on 27.1.2026 and the newly developed food products of all six finalists will be available in S Group (S-ryhmä) grocery stores nationwide the next day.
Somerpalo says her goal with the new BlackGrain-enhanced hybrid meatballs was to create a better choice for families.
“I wanted to introduce a product to the market that includes something entirely new. This recipe combines plant-based protein and meat: there are no compromises in taste or texture, and the product offers people the opportunity to make a better everyday choice. Quick and easy everyday solutions are especially important to families with children,” Somerpalo explains.
BlackGrain TVP is a high-performing textured vegetable protein designed for meat analogue and hybrid applications. It consists of 20% BlackGrain rapeseed powder and 80% pea protein isolate.
For more information, please contact
Miika Kemilä
Communications and Sustainability Director at Apetit
+358 10 4024044, miika.kemila@apetit.fi
Kaisa Somerpalo
Founder of Sopuruoka food company
kaisa.somerpalo@gmail.com